Mechanical toy.



No. 638,793. Patented Dec. l2, I899; s. ANSON.

MECHANICAL TOY.

(Application filed June 19, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

1/1/rT27E'5 5/55 YULTE'UTUFL u: norms Pmas co. PHOTO-UTNO, WASHINGTON, n c.

No. 638,793. Patented Dec. l2, I899.

S. ANSON.

MECHANICAL TOY.

(Application filed June 19, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

rm: uonms PETERS co. mowmmo" WASHINGTON, nJc.

f Nrrm) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY ANSON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

M EC HANICAL TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,793, dated December 12, 1899.

Application filed June 19, 1899. Serial No. 721,016. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY ANSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Toys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a mechanical toy, and has for its object to simulate the dance of a cotillion and music therefor.

My invention consists of articulated automaton figures representing musicians, a leader, and dancers in which the movements of the dancers are simulated by mechanical vibrations and intermittent semirevolution of the circle of dancing figures produced simultaneously with coincident movement of the bow-arm of musician figures and accompanied by harmonic sounds from strings, which are also vibrated by mechanical means.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view of my invention, displaying the automatons in position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the actuating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line w w of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line w a: of Fig. 2.

In the drawings,in which similar referencenumerals represent similar-parts, 1 represents the dancing-floor, and 2 the orchestra-platform, preferably elevated to some extent above the dancing-floor, and both are supported on walls to form a housing 3 for the actuating mechanism. From the center of the dancing-floor rises a rotatable vertical column 4, which is provided with an enlarged base 5 at the floor and a cap 6 some distance above. The reduced portion 7 of the column also projects downward through a slightlyenlarged aperture 8, located in the floor, and the column is held in position by means of a flanged pulley 9, secured to the pendent reduced portion 7. To the cap 6 of the column are secured a plurality of flexible radial arms 10, and from each of the aforesaid arms a dancing figure 11 is pendently supported by means of a flexible cord 12. The arms and limbs of the figures are articulated at the trunk and joints, and the figures representing the dancers are suspended from the arms of the spider 13 at a height to allow the feet of the dancers to rest lightly upon the floor during the vibrating movement of their supporting-arms and odor a minimum of resistance to the column during itsintermittent semirotation.

14. designates the leader, (not articulated,) and 15 designates the musicians, the bowarms 16 of which are articulated to allow the movement of the bows across their instruments. The simulated musical sounds are produced by a plurality of metallic strings 17, suitably secured and located in the housing under the orchestra-platform and are attuned to any pleasing harmonic chord.

In the opposite side walls 18 and 19 there 'is journaled an arbor 20, having one end projecting beyond one of the side walls and a crank-wheel 21 secured thereto for rotating the arbor and its several attachments. A vibratory and intermittent semirotative movement is transmitted from the arbor to the column supporting the dancers by means of a flexible rod 22, curving at flanged pulley 9 into a bow and transmitting motion to it by means of a cord 23 roved around the pulley, the ends of the cord being secured to the rod.

At one end of rod 22 is a spring 24, and at the opposite end thereof there is secured a shoulder 25, adapted to engage a toothed wheel 26, mounted upon the arbor and having one or I more teeth 27 projecting beyond other pe= ripheral teeth,whereby upon rotating the ar bor the differential teeth of the wheel 26 will successively engage the shoulder upon the rod, and thereby, together with spring 2-1, produce a reciprocation of varying stroke which vibrates the column and intermittently semirotates the same as the projecting teeth 27 engage the shoulder upon the rod, thereby causingthe articulated limbs of the dancing figures to simulate the movements of dancing.

The musical strings 17 are vibrated by means of radial flexible arms 28, which are secured to the arbor, and each arm is adapted to successively engage each string as the arbor is rotated.

The movements of the bow-arms of the musician figures are produced by means of a crown-wheel 29, also secured to the arbor, and in constant engagement therewith is a lever 30, pivotally secured to the under side of the top of the musicians platform and is IOO rigidly connected to a similar lever 31,10- cated opposite, by means of a rod Each of the articulated bow-arms is connected to a cord 33, which is secured to upwardly-projecting ends 3l of levers and 31. The lever 30 is held in constant contact with the cu rvilinear teeth of the crown-wheel by means of spring 35, whereby as the crown-wheel is rotated with the arbor levers 30 and 31 are vibrated together to produce the stroke of the bows. The teeth of crown-wheel 29 are also of difierent lengths, whereby different lengths of vibration of the levers and different lengths of stroke of the bows are produced simulating the short quick vibrations of the bow interspersed with occasional longer sweeps thereof ordinarily employed in violin-playing.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mechanical toy, the combination of a vertical rotating column having a cap or top provided with a plurality of elastic radial arms, with articulated automaton figures flexibly suspended from their outer ends, and a flanged pulley atits lower end, a housing adapted to support the column, an elastic bow provided with a cord adapted to engage the pulley and rotate it, and means to vibrate the bow with short and intermittent longer strokes, and thereby vibrate the column and cause intermittent semirotations thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

2. In a mechanical toy, the combination of a vertical rotating column having a cap provided with a plurality of elastic radial arms with articulated automaton figures suspended flexibly from their outer ends, and a flanged pulley at its lower end, a housing adapted to support the column, an elastic bow provided with a cord roved around the pulley and adapted to rotate it and therewith the column, provided with a spring at one end attached to the housing, and having the other end prolonged and provided with a shoulder, an arbor journaled in the housing and provided with a wheel having differential peripheral teeth adapted to engage the shoulder of the bow, and move it horizontally against the pull of the spring to allow the teeth to pass successively, and thereby vibrate the bow with both short and longer strokes, and means to rotate the arbor, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of June, 1899.

SIDNEY ANSON. Witnesses:

THAD S. POWELL, JAMES RAYMOND. 

